Just got my Touch in the mail.. what do I do first?! :)

[duelingdragons]

It's been activated and all set up, so I'm good to go in that regard. Got all my contacts synced up, etc.

Any must have apps, etc?

I must say, the only thing I am bothered by is the text messaging. The keyboard is pretty cumbersome I think. Any suggestions on alternates?

[samnyc]

1. Flash to a new ROM to get REV A and GPS working. 2. Add Opera 9.5 3. Add a new keyboard (personal choice). Install GPS software of your choice. Install CorePlayer.

[gonzo1082]

touchpal is your pal.

[duelingdragons]

Originally Posted by samnyc

1. Flash to a new ROM to get REV A and GPS working. 2. Add Opera 9.5 3. Add a new keyboard (personal choice). Install GPS software of your choice. Install CorePlayer.

Any personal recommendations on a keyboard?

Also, how does this GPS work? I have no idea. I udnerstand the concept of GPS, but how do I get it working on the Touch?

[AceszHigh]

Read the Threads at the top of the page in the Vogue UPGRADING forum. AKA "Sticky's" Just follow those instructions very carefully and you shouldn't have any problems. Pretty much any basic question you could have about that stuff is already answered in those threads.

My current personal keyboard choice is PCM Keyboard with the iPhone 'iclone' skin (just google it).
Download link for PCM Keyboard http://www.pocketcm.com/keyboard.php

Have fun!

[natefish]

search for the HTC Diamond keyboard. I like the QWERTY on it way better than anythung else i have tried.

Do the GPS upgrade sooner rather than later...and definitely do it.

[stevedog1]

This thread will show you how to unlock it so that you can upgrade to a 3.xx radio, and then flash a GPS capable ROM.

click here --> http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=20370

I am personally using the Leaked Sprint 3.02 ROM with the PPST.exe fix and it works flawlessly. If you unlock your Touch and update the radio following the steps in the first link, and then want to give the Sprint leaked ROM a try. You can download the Sprint Leaked 3.02 ROM here.

Click here-->http://rapidshare.com/files/119516543/V3.02.rar

The password to UN-RAR the file is: NotTilRelease

When you are done. Hard Reset your Touch, and then search in the /Windows folder for a file called PPST.exe and double tap it. It will correctly provision your phone so that the GPS works perfectly. Once that is done, you can use LiveSearch or GoogleMaps for navigation (or any other GPS apps)

I hope I have helped, and make sure that you follow the directions word for word. It is very important that you do so. Good Luck and have fun with it!

[lisat96]

If you're not comfortable unlocking your phone, YOU HAVE SPRINT AS A CARRIER, and don't want to run one of the custom ROMS, all you really have to do to activate GPS

1. download the RAR file that stevedog1 linked above
2. hook up your phone to your computer with your USB cable and let it sync
3. copy off any photos or other data that you have on your phone that isn't backed up because the installer will wipe it out
4. leave the USB connected and execute the EXE file from the RAR on your computer and do what the program tells you to do until it tells you it's complete
5. When the upgrade is complete, execute \Windows\PPST.exe on your phone

The EXE is an installer and doesn't require your phone to be unlocked, just make sure your phone is charged and don't disconnect it from your computer until the installer tells you that you're done. I like to do a hard reset (red button + green button + stylus in the reset hole) in between steps 4 and 5, but it's not mandatory. IF YOU'RE WANT TO KEEP YOUR PHONE WITHIN WARRANTY, WAIT FOR THE OFFICIAL SPRINT ROM.

[stevedog1]

Originally Posted by lisat96

The EXE is an installer and doesn't require your phone to be unlocked

Unlike a TRUE official update, this EXE installer has a custom .nbh file and your phone DOES need to be unlocked to run it.

To prevent anyone from running into any problems, or even bricking their phones...

For the GPS to work on the Any CDMA Touch (Vogue) you MUST have a 3.xx Radio installed FIRST.

To do that you need unlock your phone to flash the new ALLTEL ROM as listed in the previous link that I posted. The ALLTEL ROM will upgrade the radio. At this time, the Leaked Sprint ROM (3.02) that I provided a link for, is just like any other custom ROM, and (unitil the OFFICIAL ROM update) will not update your radio to 3.xx.

[lisat96]

Why did my upgrade work? I went straight from stock Sprint ROM to the leaked ROM using the procedure that I described above. I've never run a custom ROM. My phone lists the radio as 3.37.15 and I've used my GPS to route me hundreds of miles and it's had no problem tracking me, so it's definitely functioning.